I think we are stronger 2 good goal keepers Better cover in defence - Coates and Vergini as cover rather than Roberge and Diakite Centre mid - Rodwell and Gomez instead of Gardener and Cloback We will miss Borinis pace though
We cannot really say until we have a full season. However, I don't think we will be bottom 3 for 95% of the campaign and have far better options in midfield for creativity and goals so from that perspective, better.
Pound for pound stronger, marginally. In relation to the teams around us, weaker I think. Hull, QPR, West Ham etc have strengthened more than us in my eyes. Leicester are weaker than us, Burnley too and I don't rate Palace without Pulis. I think if we stay up it's because other people were substandard, not because we've developed our squad as we should have done. I'll take that though, hopefully we sign in January. Very negative, I know but I feel like it's all been an anti climax.
I think stronger. Ive just put together what I think is our strongest 11 and its better for me. Take away Borini's penalties and he didn'tgive us much over the seaaon. Giaccherini offers more for me. Think he and Ricky will bounce off each bother well
Goals win games.....who is going to score our goals. My understanding of the game is that if you score more goals than the opposition you win, I just worry that no matter how much better we are at the back or in midfield, that we will not be able to score enough goals to win games.
I think the club has missed a real opportunity. We've ****ed around with a one-trump "forward", putting all our eggs into that one basket, and have been left with our 3 non-firing strikers and eggs on our faces. Good business at the back, and in midfield, but goals are what will keep us up. Nothing else. Roll on January.
If you're talking about the start of last season v the start of this we're in much better shape. Cattermole & Giacherrini weren't on the map and the senior players were acting like bairns. The pre-season was a mess and the transfer window bewildering. Our left back was Bardsley, Colback or someone else as bad and our keeper was average at best. We had Gardner and now we have Rodwell. This is much more like it.
That was going to be the original title of the thread, but the answer to that is pretty obvious, so I changed it to the team that finished last season instead That is the standard we were looking to improve upon in the window Split decision so far it seems
You can't compare the start of last season with this season. It's a whole new world this season. You're right overall, man-for-man for 20odd of the squad places, we are probably stronger. But goals mean points and we are weaker where it counts most. That's our worry for the next 122 days. By Christmas we need to have 20-25 points on the board. I know that sounds depressing to be even talking that way but it's a genuine concern to see our Jaffa strike-force no stronger then last August.
I agree, but I think if we play our more creative midfielders such as Rodwell, Giacchy, Alvarez or Gomez maybe our strikers will benefit more from decent service.
I reckon we're a lot stronger - and there's still time to add a couple more names with free agents- and windows are still open in other countries, plus it may give a chance for some of our fringe youth players to shine
It is time for Jack O'Reaney to shine. **** Fletcher in the middle, put Wickham there and give him his chance. You have until January to prove yourself you cocky little....(Wickham that is)
I really hope your right but it seems to me that we have a bunch of strikers who couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.
So we have brought in 9 players for an outlay of around £15 million. Not bad business, but just over 1%of premiership spending must have us falling backwards. The worst thing is we have lost 9 players, deadwood they may have been but we for £0 for them. That is shocking. Are we stronger, time will tell. I think we have a better manager. I think we have a less combative midfield without Colback. Maybe more attacking but Ki was a very good player and is a big miss. At the back we are still short of cover and our forward line you could argue is stronger as Fletcher is fit, Wickham mor confident. Gus hasn't impressed me in the window. He has said some strange stuff. Wickham needs to sign a contract when none offered. His handling of borini was embarrassing Maybe that's all confusion with congerton and Byrne. Club seems to be getting the finances in order after a disastrous few years in the transfer market. At least we seem to be getting back to team building. Looks like we couldn't even give cabral away! The thin squad may offer our youngsters a chance.
Yup the magic answer will be league placing. I'm certainly not as confident of avoiding a relegation fight as i was a few weeks back.
